death of the chief builder at the temple; and in the Rose Croix to the crucifixion.

BLAZING STAR. The blazing star constitutes one of the ornaments of the lodge. Formerly it was said to be " commemorative of the star which appeared to guide the wise men of the East to the place of our Saviour's nativity." But as this allusion, however beautiful, interferes with the universal character of masonry, it is now generally omitted, and the blazing star is said to be an emblem of Divine Providence. In the English ritual it is emblematic of Prudence. Dr. Hemming, quoted by Oliver, says that it refers to the sun "which enlightens the earth with its refulgent rays, dispensing its blessings to mankind at large, and giving light and life to all things here below."

BLUE. The appropriate colour of the first three degrees or ancient craft masonry, and has been explained as emblematic of universal friendship and benevolence, instructing us, that in the mind of a Mason those virtues should be as extensive as the blue arch of heaven itself.

BLUE MASONRY. The degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason, are called Blue Masonry, and lodges in which they are conferred are called Blue Lodges, because the decorations of these degrees are of this colour.

BOAZ. The name of the left hand pillar that stood at the porch of King Solomon's temple. It is derived from the Hebrew, b "in," and y, oaz, "strength," and signifies "in strength." See Pillars.

BONE.. This word which is now corruptly pronounced in one syllable is the Hebrew word boneh, 1, "builder," from the verb banah,, "to build." It was peculiarly applied, as an

epithet, to Hiram Abif, who superintended the construction of the temple as its chief builder.

BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS. The Book of Constitutions is that work in which is contained the rules and regulations of the order, an exposition of the duties of officers, the rights of members, the detail of ceremonies to be used on various occasions, such as consecrations, installations, funerals, etc.; and, in fine, a summary of all the fundamental principles of masonry. To this book, reference is to be made in all cases, where the bye-laws of the Grand Lodge are silent or not sufficiently explicit.

The earliest notice that we have of any such Constitutions is in a record, written in the reign of Edward IV., which states that Prince Edwin, having assembled the Masons at York, in 926, then framed the English constitutions of masonry from the writings brought there in various languages. These Constitutions continued for a long time to govern the English craft under the name of the "Gothic Constitutions;" but as they were found, at the revival of masonry in the beginning of the eighteenth century, to be very erroneous and defective probably from carelessness or ignorance in their frequent transcription-in September, 1721, the Duke of Montagu, who was then Grand Master, ordered Brother James Anderson to digest them "in a new and better method."

Anderson having accordingly accomplished the important task that had been assigned him, in December of the same year, a committee consisting of fourteen learned brethren, was appointed to examine the book, and they, in the March communication of the subsequent year, having reported their approbation of it, it was, after some amendments, adopted by the Grand Lodge, and published in 1723, under the title of "the Book of Constitutions of the Freemasons, containing the History, Charges, Regulations, etc., of the Most Ancient and Right Worshipful Fraternity. For the use of the lodges."

In 1735, a second edition was published, under the superin

tendence of a committee of Grand officers. This was the last edition issued during the life-time of Dr. Anderson; but, in the year 1754, it was resolved "that the Book of Constitutions should be revised, and the necessary alterations and additions made, consistent with the laws and rules of masonry." Again, in 1766, a similar revision took place, under the care of the Grand officers and twenty-one Masters of lodges; and the amendments having been unanimously approved by the Grand Lodge, in January, 1767, the fourth edition was published.

This book is carried in all processions before the Grand Master, on a velvet cushion, and the right of so carrying it is vested in the Master of the oldest lodge-a privilege which arose from the following circumstances. During the reign of Queen Anne, Freemasonry was in a languishing condition, in consequence of the age and infirmities of the Grand Master, Sir Christopher Wren. On his death, and the accession of George the First to the throne, the four old lodges then existing in London, determined to revive the Grand Lodge, which had for some years been dormant, and to renew the quarterly communications and the annual feast. This measure they accomplished, and resolved, among other things, that no lodge thereafter should be permitted to act, (the four old lodges excepted,) unless by authority of a charter granted by the Grand Master, with the approbation and consent of the Grand Lodge. In consequence of this, the old Masons in the metropolis vested all their inherent privileges as individuals in the four old lodges, in trust, that they would never suffer the ancient landmarks to be infringed; while, on their part, these bodies consented to extend their patronage to every lodge which should thereafter be regularly constituted, and to admit their Masters and Wardens to share with them all the privileges of the Grand Lodge, that of precedence only excepted. The extension. of the order, however, beginning to give to the new lodges a numerical superiority in the Grand Lodge, it was feared they would at length be able, by a majority, to subvert the privileges of the original Masons of England, which had been centred in the

four old lodges. On this account, a code of articles was drawn up with the consent of all the brethren, for the future government of the society. To this was annexed a regulation, binding the Grand Master and his successors, and the Master of every newly constituted lodge, to preserve these regulations inviolable; and declaring that no new regulation could be proposed, except at the third quarterly communication, and requiring it to be publicly read at the annual feast to every brother, even to the youngest Apprentice, when the approbation of at least two-thirds of those present should be requisite to render it obligatory. To commemorate this circumstance, it has been customary for the Master of the oldest lodge to attend every grand installation, and taking precedence of all present, the Grand Master excepted, to deliver the Book of Constitutions to the newly installed Grand Master, on his promising obedience to the ancient charges and general regulations.

This book, guarded by the Tyler's sword, constitutes an emblem in the Master's degree, intended to admonish the Mason that he should be guarded in all his words and actions, preserving unsullied the masonic virtues of silence and circumspection which are inculcated in that book.

BOOK OF THE LAW. The Holy Bible, which is always open in a lodge, as a symbol that its light should be diffused among the brethren. The passages on which it is opened differ in the different degrees. In this country these passages are as follows: in the first degree, at Psalm cxxxiii; in the second, at Amos vii. 7, 8; in the third, at Ecclesiastes xii. 1-7.^

BREAST PLATE. A piece of embroidery about ten inches square, worn by the Jewish High Priest on his breast, and attached by its upper corners to the shoulders, and by its lower to the girdle of the Ephod. It was made of the same rich embroidered stuff of which the Ephod was. The front of it was set with twelve precious stones, on each of which was engraved the

name of one of the twelve tribes. These stones were divided from each other by golden partitions, and set in four rows according to the following order. It must be remembered that they are to be read according to the Jewish system of writing, from right to left, commencing with the Sardius in the right hand upper corner.

CARBUNCLE, TOPAZ, SARDIUS,

The colours of these stones have been described by Biblical naturalists as follows:

1. The Sardius, or ruby, was of a red colour, with an admixture of purple. 2. The Topaz, or modern chrysolite, was pale green, with an admixture of yellow. 3. The Carbuncle was a fiery red. 4. The Emerald was of a beautiful and pure green. 5. The Sapphire, or modern lapis lazuli, was a deep blue, veined with white and spotted with small golden stars. 6. The Diamond is perfectly white. 7. The Ligure, or hyacinth, was of dull red, much mixed with yellow. 8. The Agate was of a grey horny ground, spotted with different colours, chiefly of a dusky hue. 9. The Amethyst was of a purple colour, composed of strong blue and deep red. 10. The Beryl, or modern aqua marina, was a pellucid gem of a bluish green. 11. The Onyx was of a bluish white colour, resembling the tint of the human nail. 12. The Jasper was of a beautiful green, sometimes clouded with white, red, or yellow.